Charlotte Historymaker Talks To Current Students

Dozens of Charlotte-Mecklenburg students and their parents packed the media center at Irwin Avenue Open Elementary to take part in history.

Students viewed a documentary on Dorothy Counts-Scoggins, the first African american to integrate CMS and then had the chance to have a conversation with her.

They asked her questions and talked about the changes in CMS since schools were desegregated. Counts-Scoggins said this type of interaction with current CMS students is long overdue.

She said, "It's gone too long without having this kind of dialogue. I've done it individual schools but I think this has really brought an awareness to the whole community. And we need to continue to have this dialogue and we need to have more than just this week."

Janaya Hudson is a student at the current Harding High School. She said a lot has changed but added there's still some racism in schools. "I never even knew of this. It's really hard to go to that school and not know your past is what needs to affect you now," she said.

Counts-Scoggins said she never turns down the opportunity to talk to young people. She believes, "This happened to be able to give them a quality education and they need to take advantage of that. Things have changed in 50 years but at the same time education is not a given."